Musicians

Born in Gainesville, Florida, Robin was raised in Port St. Joe, FL. Robin is married to Trudie Downs, another integral founding member of Go Big Or Go Home.

Robin began his love of music when he started playing clarinet in the St. Joe High band. While growing up along the Gulf Coast, he had numerous garage bands with his brother, Clark Downs, and friends around St. Joe and Panama City, some of which included Sheffield’s Gate, 13th Hourglass and others. Robin graduated from with his degree in Poli Science and a minor in history and then later got degrees in math, music. Robin has performed professionally in Carolina and Virginia during the 70′s and 80′s with Summerstock, R2D2, and Ascension Drive before returning to Port St. Joe and eventually Panama City to beginning a career in education. Robin is presently the culinary arts instructor at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach and has also served his community as the band director at St. Joe High and Everitt Middle School in the past.

Trudie Downs – Keyboards

Born and raised in Panama City, Florida, Trudie met and married to Robin Downs while attending North West Florida State College. Trudie graduated from Bay High School and received her AA degree in music from Pensacola Jr. College. After attending N.W. Florida Trudie left for the road and playing music professionally in Carolinas and Virginia in the 70′s and 80′s with Summerstock, R2D2, and Ascension Drive before returning to Port St. Joe and now Panama City with her husband, Robin.

Presently, Trudie is a freelance court reporter in the 14th Judicial Circuit of Florida, and owner of Gulf Bay Reporting, Inc.

Clark Downs – Guitar

Clarks passion for music started when he played trumpet and French horn in the local high school band as well as enjoying singing in church with his brother, Robin. In 1967, when The ’13th Hourglass’ was formed with Larry Parker, Chick Mathis, Robin Downs and Pook, Clark helped recorded two singles that got a lot of airplay in the Panama City area. At age 26, Clark went on the road for five years with a band called ‘Summerstock’ including keyboard player Trudie and drummer Crook Stewart. That group later formed ‘Ascension Drive’ adding other members to the band. In 1982, Clark played in the band ‘Sassy’ with Tim Robinson, Matt Dillon and Gary Bartels and from 1989 to 1995 was the sound engineer/producer with ‘The Rhondels’ (Hits include ‘What Kind of Fool’, ‘May I’, ‘Ive Been Hurt’). In 2009, Clark picked up the guitar again, when many members of his former groups got back together in the ‘Go Big or Go Home Band’.

David Goldflies learned to play violin at 4 years old from his grandfather. When he was 14 at the urging of his father, he began to play electric bass. At 18 Mr. Goldflies played bass on the iconic hit single “Black Betty” that was released nationally under the group name “Ram Jam”. Mr. Goldflies then went on the road with Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts in the group Great Southern. This gig led to 4 years of tours and 3 studio albums with the re-formed Allman Brothers Band. On the album “Enlightened Rogues” the instrumental track “Pegasus” was nominated for a Grammy award for “Best Rock Instrumental”. Currently Mr. Goldflies resides in Panama City Beach where he plays double bass in the Panama City Pops Orchestra along with a number of side projects with area musicians, most notably starting a local group dedicated to growing the awareness and love for new music, such as what he produces with Aebelton Live. Mr. Goldflies is also founder and CEO of the local leading web design firm Cyber SYtes, Inc.

Tony is a local musician specializing in vocals, but also highly capable on the electric bass. Tony’s smokey and smooth style lends itself to helping create a fantastic atmosphere in any band he is a part of, but with the Go Big Or Go Home band, it truly shines, whether on classic soul tunes and beach music, or on the powerful horn driven Tower of Power arrangements within the bands repertoire.

Victor Payano – Saxophonist

Victor Payano’s was born in Santo Domingo, however his life as a musician began in his adopted hometown of Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Victor participated in the annual Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival with artists such as Tito Puente, Humberto Ramirez, Paquito D’ Rivera, Chocolate Armenteros, and Dave Valentín. There, Victor was selected by Heineken to audition student candidates that would go on to participate in the Berkley in Puerto Rico Yearly Jazz Program.

Victor obtained a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, where he also taught Applied Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation in its Extension Program for 10 years. In 2002 he earned his Master of Music in Jazz Performance from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, while working as an Adjunct Instructor for the Undergraduate Jazz Program at the same university.

After graduating, Victor moved to Orlando where he taught Music at the Lake Sumter Community College and worked with several groups such as The Leesburg Jazz Repertory Orchestra directed by drummer Bob Grausso, The Orlando Concert Band and The Lake Saxophone Quartet. Recently, in conjunction with Producer and Percussionist Edgar Rodriguez, Victor organized the VIP Latin Jazz Band. The group performed weekly at Melao Restaurant Club during 2004 as well as at Festivals in France and Concerts throughout Central Florida.

Jason Bennett – Saxes & Lead Trumpet

Native of Panama City Beach, Florida, Jason is currently the Band Director of the Blue Thunder Band Program at J. R. Arnold High School in Panama City Beach, Florida. During his time as Band Director, he has continued the school’s rich tradition of excellence of by receiving Superior scores in Marching and Concert festival as well as performing in front of over 80,000 people at the Fed-Ex Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game (Florida vs. Oklahoma) in Miami, FL on January 8th, 2009. In 2010, the Symphonic Band, Indoor Percussion and Jazz Ensemble, placed first in all areas at the Smokey Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Jason obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Faulkner University in Saxophone Performance and in 2009, received his Masters of Music in Music Education from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. Jason also teaches Music Theory I & II, Ear Training and Sight Singing, as well as Applied Lessons for Gulf Coast Community College.

As a saxophonist and trumpeter, Jason has played across the southeast with local jazz and classical groups such as the Playground Big Band, Gulf Coast Sinfonia Orchestra, Cloud 9 Jazz Orchestra, Panama City Pops Orchestra, Bay Wind Band, and many more. Mr. Bennett has also performed professionally with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra led by Buddy Morrow, The Temptations, and Victor Lopez from the Miami Sound Machine. Jason continues to perform throughout Panama City Beach and around the region.

Jeff Tinch – Trumpet

Jeff began his musical career by learning to playing trumpet at the age of twelve. He continued to play through school, graduating from Rutherford High School and earning a scholarship on trumpet to Florida State University. Upon graduating from FSU with a degree in music education, he returned to Panama City and became the Director of Bands at Everitt Middle School. While teaching in public schools he continued to play in various ensembles in the area from jazz bands to orchestras. He has played with musical acts Vic Damone, Diahann Carroll, Phil Driscoll, and Hollywood trumpet artist and producer, Gary Grant. Jeff is currently music minister at The Rock of Panama City where he writes and arranges for several vocal and instrumental ensembles he directs. He is an anointed songwriter and psalmist and is pursuing his passion for arranging and orchestration. Jeff lives in Lynn Haven with his beautiful wife of 25 years, Linda and their two children, Amy and Andrew. All three are accomplished musicians in their own right.

Steve Henley – Drummer

Steve hails from Muscle Shoals, Alabama where he did demo work for a few studios and played in several
clubs. After many years of playing the regional circuit, Steve joined the show band Clutch, and toured
the United States, Germany and Switzerland. He left Clutch in the 80s and continued to tour the US
and Canada with several different show bands. He spent several years playing the casinos of Atlantic
City, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and the Gulf Coast region. He also played on the Regal Empress Cruise ship
sailing the Caribbean for a period of time. After many years on the road, Steve came to Panama City and unpacked his suitcase for good. Playing music is still his passion, which is evident when Steve sits behind the drums with Go Big or Go Home.

Crook Stewart – Former Drummer and great friend of the band

Crook Stewart is an invaluable member of the music scene in Panama City, and offers up much of his personal time and space to aid in growing the vibrant music scene that is within his own hometown community.

Crook is a Panama City native that played drums and sang on the road for 10 years in 3 different bands. He took a break from performing in 1985 and has been on the tour management side of the music business ever since. He currently tours the world up to nine months a year with artists such as Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Crosby Stills and Nash, Art Garfunkel, and many others. When home in Panama City, Crook holds a monthly open jam at his residence for all musicians in and around the area, at a place he affectionately calls “The Ghetto Palace”, that draws upwards of 40 musicians as well as some lucky spectators.